Chapter 6 The Giver of the Law

Chapter 6: The Giver of the Law 

Observations: 

- Cephu was not talked to for a few hours, refused a chair by a child (not even a great hunter), was laughed at by children and women, and he was ignored by men, this was his punishment.  He was punished through humiliation.  
- Pygmy have no judge, chief, court, they settle each case as it arrises according the nature of the offense.  
Four ways to Punish: 
1. Supernatural retribution
2. Molimo- attack their hut and possibility the person 
3. Sound Thrashing- people who feel inclined participate, this is for a more extreme offense such as stealing 
4. Less serious offenses are settled by the people themselves through engaging in a small or a argument 
- Kelemoke commented incest.  In African tribes many people prefer to others to marry their cousins but NOT in the BaMbuti.  This was almost as bad as sleeping with a brother or sister.  Kelemoke was driven into the forest and he will die there of starvation or leprosy.  No group will find his after they find out what he has done.  They believe that the forest will kill him.  Kelemoke came back three days later and sat at the fire.  A women gave him some food and smiled at him.  Kelemoke never again flirted with his cousins, got married, and has two children.  Kelemoke is now really respected among the other hunters.  
- contempt is seen by ignoring someone and ostracism is ridiculing someone 
- Tamasa dumped the tobacco on the ground that was given to her by Tamasa and passed to her by Masalito.  
- Arguments are solved by cooperation

Religion:

"If you ask a Pygmy why his people have no chiefs, no lawgivers, no councils, or no leaders, he will answer with misleading simplicity, "Because we are the people of the forest."  The forest, the great provider, is the one standards by which all deeds and thoughts are judged; it is the chief, the lawgiver, the leader, and the final arbitrato" (125 Collin M. Turnbull)" 


This chapter is not really about religion overall.  Religion is seen in the quote above about religion though.  The people believe that the forest is God and that the forest has the right to solve the disputes.   For a functionalist perspective the people solve their own individual disputes so that they can survive, if you offend the group and are run out into the forest you will die because the forest will kill you.  Kelemoke was "lucky" the group took him back.